Solid-state flasher

Claim 2

Means for controlling the alternate energizing and deenergizing of a device comprising a source of alternating input voltages which reverses polarity on alternating half-cycles, a device to be energized and deenergized alternately by said source, the improvement comprising a control member connected in a series circuit with said device across said source, said control member having a control element therefor, circuit means connected to said control element to control the conducting condition of the control member such that when the control member is conducting the device is energized and when the control member is not conducting the device is deenergized, said circuit means including first charge storage means connected to store charge during half-cycles of one polarity of the input source, means responsive to the accumulation of a predetermined charge on said first charge storage means including means for establishing a circuit condition which will enable the control member to go from a nonconducting to a conducting condition the next time there is a reversal of the polarity of the input source, said circuit means including second charge storage means connected to store charge during the half-cycles of the other polarity of the input source, means connecting said second charge storage means to the control element of said control member whereby the charge stored on said second charge storage means operates to maintain the control member in a conducting condition during the half-cycle of operation following the half-cycle in which the control member goes to a conducting condition.

Claim 3

The means defined in claim 3 wherein said circuit means include means adjustable to control the time required to charge the first charge storage means to said predetermined charge.

Claim 4

The means defined in claim 3 including means to deactivate the second charge storage means.

Claim 5

The means defined in claim 3 including third charge storage means, means operable to cause charge to store on said third charge storage means during said other half-cycles of the input source, and other circuit means including means to control the rate of discharge of the charge stored on said third charge storage means, said other circuit means having an operative connection to the control element of the control member to control the time duration that the control member remains in a conducting condition.

Claim 6

A circuit for controlling alternate on and off cycles of a device comprising a device to be controlled, switching means connected in series with said device across an alternating current input source, said switching means including a first solid-state member having a control element excitable to control the conducting condition thereof, and circuit means connected to the control element to control the conducting conditions of said member, said circuit means including a second solid-state member having a control element, and means including charge storage means and associated voltage divider means, means connecting said charge storage means to the alternating current input source whereby charge is stored thereon during selected half-cycles of the input source depending on the polarity of the input source, the occurrence of a predetermined charge on the charge storage means operating through the voltage divider circuit to condition the second solid-state member so that said member will conduct the next time the polarity of the input source reverses, and other means connected to the control element of said switching means including the said second solid-state member when in its conducting condition enabling said switching means to go from its nonconducting to its conducting condition to energize the device being controlled.

Claim 7

The circuit defined in claim 7 including second charge storage means operatively connected to be charged by the input source, and means for discharging a charge stored thereon, said discharging means including a discharge circuit connected through the second solid-state member, said discharge circuit conditioning said second solid-state member so that it will go from a conducting to a nonconducting condition.

Claim 8

A solid-state flasher circuit for controlling energizing and deenergizing of a flasher device comprising a flasher device, a source of alternating current, a controllable member connected in series with the flasher device across the alternating current source, said controllable member having a control electrode, the improvement comprising circuit means connected to the control electrode of the controllable member to produce signals thereon that control the conducting condition of the controllable member and the energizing and deenergizing of the flasher device, said circuit means including a first circuit portion connected across the the alternating current source and including charge storage means and impedance and rectifier means connected in series with the charge storage means to control the rate and polarity of charge storage on the charge means, means including a voltage divider discharge path connected across the charge storage means, and a gated rectifier having a control electrode connected to a point in the voltage divider discharge path, said gated rectifier conditioning the circuit means so that the controllable member can go from a nonconducting to a conducting condition under control of a polarity reversal of the source, and other means included in the circuit means to maintain the controllable member in a conducting condition for a determinable time period.

Claim 9

The solid-state flasher circuit defined in claim 9 including means adjustable to control the time duration that the controllable member is in a conducting condition.

Claim 10

The solid-state flasher circuit defined in claim 9 including means adjustable to control the time duration that the controllable member is in a nonconducting condition.

Claim 11

The solid-state flasher circuit defined in claim 9 wherein said controllable member is a triac.

Claim 12

The solid-state flasheR circuit defined in claim 9 wherein said voltage divider discharge circuit includes a trigger diode.

Claim 13

The solid-state flasher circuit defined in claim 9 wherein said circuit means includes a second circuit portion including second charge storage means, means to cause a charge of predetermined polarity to be stored on said second charge storage means from said alternating current source on alternate half-cycles of the source, and means for dissipating the charge on said second charge storage means, said charge-dissipating means including the control electrode of the controllable member.

Claim 14

The solid-state flasher circuit defined in claim 9 including means for controlling the length of time that the gated rectifier conditions the circuit means so that the controllable member can go from its nonconducting to its conducting condition said last-named control means including means adjustable to control the time durations that the flasher device remains energized.

Claim 15

Means for controlling the energizing and deenergizing of a device comprising a source of input voltage having alternating half-cycles of opposite polarity, a controllable element capable of being in a conducting or nonconducting condition connected in series with the device to be energized and deenergized across the input source, said controllable element having a gate electrode, and means connected to the gate electrode for applying signals thereto to control the conducting condition of the element and of the device to be energized and deenergized, said means connected to the gate electrode including first means operable in response to a predetermined first circuit condition to enable a signal to be applied to the gate electrode to cause said controllable element to go from a nonconducting to a conducting condition, said last-named means including first charge storage means and means to adjust a first circuit time constant to vary the charging rate of said first charge storage means, and second means responsive to a predetermined second circuit condition to maintain the controllable element in conducting condition for a determinable time period, said second means including second charge storage means and means to adjust a second circuit time constant to vary the charging rate of said second charge storage means.

Claim 16

The means defined in claim 16 including switch means connected into the circuit of the second charge storage means, said switch means being movable between a first position in which the device to be energized is operated on half-wave energy from the source, and a second position in which the device to be energized is operated on full wave energy from the source.

Claim 17

The means defined in claim 16 including switch means connected into the circuit with the second charge storage means, said switch means being movable between a first position in which the second means operate every time the device is energized to maintain the device energized for one full cycle of the input source, a second position in which the device is maintained energized for a predetermined time interval each time it is energized, and a third position in which the device after once being energized remains energized.